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Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Corn Starch Ornaments (No Flour!)

My family and I wanted to
make homemade Christmas ornaments this year. Since my son is allergic to
gluten/flour, I decided to try out a cornstarch clay recipe. I am very
happy with the results, and actually like this recipe better than other
ones I've tried in the past. It's simple, inexpensive, great to knead and a perfect shade of white!***1/2 cup cornstarch

1 cup baking soda

3/4 cup water

Combine all ingredients in large sauce pan. Stir until the dough can no
longer be stirred. This step should take about 10 minutes. (Mixture will resemble mashed potatoes)

Remove the pot from stove and spoon the mixture of dough into a bowl. Cover dough with a damp cloth
until it's cool.

When dough has cooled, knead it on a smooth surface until
smooth. (Tip: add more cornstarch if it feels sticky.)Preheat oven to 175 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Also grab cookie cutters and any other instruments needed.

Roll out dough 1/4 inch thick on a surface lightly dusted with
cornstarch. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Transfer shapes to the
prepared baking sheet. Then, use a straw to poke a hole in the center top of
each decoration.

Place ornaments in the oven for about an Two hours. Make sure to turn
them over halfway through baking.

Allow ornaments to cool completely on a cooling rack. A few of our ornaments ended up cracking and lifting. Next time we will use a completely flat cookie sheet. We used one with a bit of a lift, and it made a difference in the end result.

After the ornaments are cooled, then it's time for the best part! Decorating! My memory card ended up crashing, and deleted all the rest of my pictures... But, I was able to get a picture of the ornaments Tyson painted.

That's a great idea. Just a question. When you mix the cornstarch in the pot, what level heat do you use? Also, what temp. did you cook them at in the oven?I want to make these with my son, they look like fun!

Thank you very much Kathleen :) When I cooked the mixture on the stove, I had the heat on medium. Then, when I placed the ornaments in the oven, I had the stove preheated to 175 degrees F. I baked them in the oven for two hours, and flipped them halfway through. (Baking time will depend on your oven.) If you didn't want to bake the ornaments, you can leave them out to dry. It will take approximately two days for the clay to fully harden.

Good luck making ornaments with your son. I hope you two have lots of fun. :)

Hi! I love this recipe for clay as we have multiple family members who are celiac, or unconfirmed but with definite signs of gluten intolerance. But I have a question for you: do you have to use the clay right away or can you make it up a day or more in advance before using? I'd love to use this for an upcoming dinosaur party and I double I'll have time to make it that morning. Thanks

I love love LOVE this clay! I don't use it for ornaments, though. The first time I used it was to make a realistic handle for a halloween decoration knife, and now I'm using it again to make clay dolls! A lot cheaper than polymer clay.

Mom of two, mental health advocate and occasional blogger. I enjoy crafting, cooking, going on random adventures and documenting my life in photos. Motherhood isn't always easy, but it's the best job in the world! Reminder: (This is NOT a medical blog. For medical advice and information consult your health-care provider.)